Wild Side
by SoaringGryphonProductions
Summary: Nightwing, Red Arrow, and Tigress have traveled to Africa to recruit their own 'Catwoman' and the good version of 'Cheetah'. Her name is Shukura, and these are her adventures with 'The Team', and her new transition from going from the open Serengeti to the 'Concrete Jungle'.
1. Chapter 1

**Young Justice: Wild Side**

 **Chapter 1: Serengeti**

No one has ever taken over the world. No human at least, but one can say that insects have successfully done so. The flatlands are my home. Come as a friend, and I will treat you as such. Come as a foe, and you will know my fury. I walk that line between man and beast. What I am to your eyes is up to you to decide. I am Shukura, I am Sphinx.

The local Maasai say I am a goddess of the hunt, and that seeing me is good luck. I have the strength of ten warriors. My fur is as black as obsidian, and my eyes are ambers. My appearance is that of the leopard, and I come with claws, teeth and a tail. There came a day when something peculiar on the plains. They were people of a different sort.

"Well, an assignment in Africa...something new for a change," said one of them, no doubt they are Americans,

"We're here for business, not a safari," said another, from their bright costumes, they look like superheroes.

Many have tried to capture me from warlords to villains similar to me. One of note was called 'Cheetah'. One can say I am more evolved than her I kept cover under the tall dry grass, and listened in on their conversations. One appeared to be an archer, one seemed to be a mercenary with the mask of a tiger, "Keep a lookout, I hear this one's wild,"

"So is Cheetah, and I heard she failed to catch this one too," said the archer, I lightly snarled at the mention of that wretch. She hunted me for sport, and yet in some way this group of special individuals might seem to be better than her. I saw my chance to strike. I will show what I can do, and not harm them, too bad, "still no sign of that...AH!"

I pounced on the archer from behind before he could draw and fire his bow, "Forgive me," I said covering his mouth,

"Huh? What're you-?" I interrupted his last words with a fist to the face, knocking him out as cold as Kilimanjaro,

I looked up from the grass in search of my next victim. The one with the tiger mask looks suitable, "Red Arrow? Red Arrow, where're you?" she said, using one of those strange communicating devices that I see soldiers use, "Nightwing? Nightwing, I've lost contact with Red Arrow," she said while I moved around, waiting for the opportune moment.

Using my agility and speed, I pounced from the front. Her eyes went wide, and she screamed as I pounced on her with all my weight in my claws and feet pushing her down on her back. A bolt from her crossbow nearly hit me in the cheek. My tail swished behind me as I looked around to see who else was afoot. I then dragged her off by the feet.

As a leopard would with a fresh kill, I took my two friends up into a tree, "That should suffice," I said to myself,

"Mmm! Mmm!" they muffled in protest, I covered their mouths with white cloth, and tied them up and hung them on the branches.

I hid myself up in the tree, and wondered if the one they call 'Nightwing' will take the bait. I saw him coming toward the tree seeing his friends in the state they were in, "I apologize for I did to your friends, I further apologize if I harmed them as that is not my intention," I said crouching on a branch and looking at the leader of this traveling group.

"Tell that to my concussion, Furball," said the archer called Red Arrow. I came down from the branches. With a slash of my claws I let the two of them down from their binds. Nightwing seemed a bit wary of me. I would not blame him for being so. How many times in your life are you going to meet a walking and talking cat? Not many I would think.

"My name's Nightwing, the two you had the pleasure of meeting are Red Arrow and Tigress," said the leader as gentleman would,

"My name is Shukura, the local warlord calls me 'Sphinx'," I replied back, and shook his hand with some grip,

"At least you can be reasoned with, unlike a certain other cat we have in Gotham," said Nightwing, I tilted my head bemusedly at his words, "I'll explain more later...looks like the team is getting a real 'Catwoman'," he said, his smile to me seemed to approve of his choice, it felt like an honor to be around a group of heroes such as these present.

One part of my life seemed to end, and another was beginning. Now I was a part of something special. I am to be seen as a hero. I believe I have much to learn if I am work with these individuals. My interest was peaked at the mention of a 'Catwoman'. I wonder what that other one is that Nightwing had mentioned? I suppose I will see in the future.

 **Team Member Profile:**

 **Name: Shukura**

 **Alias: Sphinx**

 **Birthplace: Unknown**

 **Birthdate: Unknown**

 **Hair (Fur): Black**

 **Eyes: Light Brown**

 **Height: 5'7**

 **Weight: Between 160 and 165lbs**

 **Abilities: Heightened Sense of Smell, Hearing, and Vision. Cat-like Agility, Strength and Speed.**

 **Nationality: Azande (also speaks Bantu, Fang, Swahili, Zulu, Arabic and English)**

 **Fighting Style: Specialized Martial Arts**

 **Weapons: Claws and Teeth**

 **Likes: Formidable Opponents**

 **Dislikes: Guns**

 **Notable Friends: 'The Team', (Outside of 'The Team') Wonder Woman, Batman, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Catwoman (Friendly Rival)**

 **Notable Enemies: Killer Croc, Gorilla Grodd, Cheetah, King Shark**

 **Attire: None (her fur provides adequate cover)**

 **Features: Feline appearance with a tail, and articulated limbs. Has leopard rosettes that can be seen in her black fur.**

 **Nicknames: Furball, Kitty, Big Kitty, Sphinxy, Kura,**


	2. Chapter 2

**Young Justice: Wild Side**

 **Chapter 2: Basic Instinct**

Upon my arrival to America, to a place called Happy Harbor which sounds like good name for a village in South Africa. There, is trained to hone my skills of agility, combat, and awareness. 'The Team' has very advanced technology that those blood diamond warlords could only dream of. To think that I represent my homeland for the first time.

"Okay, I need to get used to this walking-talking cat thing," said one called Impulse, I can blink my eyes and he will be gone in an instant, the world of superheroes is truly a diverse mix of powers and abilities. Some say when you look like a monster, you are treated like a monster, and you become a monster. It shows a world still blinded by ignorance.

"Her feline attributes give her an advantage, though we should still watch over her, she's...feral," said one called Miss Martian,

I have seen computers before briefly, but never anything on this scale, "Looks like Killer Croc has broken out of Arkham Asylum, this might be your chance to prove yourself, Kura, you're coming with me," said Nightwing, '"consider this, supervised fieldwork," I nodded lightly to his explanation though it would make more sense of my purpose to 'The Team'.

"Sphinx, take the high road and cover me, I'll take the low," ordered Nightwing, I leaped and swung from light post to light post. I have heard tales of a city called 'Gotham' and of a legend known as 'The Batman'. I watched over Nightwing as ordered. I have never seen a city so large in my life, with so many lights and so many people. What a sight.

"Focus, Sphinx, I'll give you a tour of the town later," said Nightwing, "Sphinx? Sphinx...Kura, push the button,"

"I apologize, I am...not used to such technology," I replied, seeing their is a small button on this odd-looking earpiece.

"Don't worry, all this new stuff will take getting used to, now let's go find Croc," he said back, it is refreshing to hear the confidence in his voice. Not only in himself and his abilities, but trusts me as I am working with him for the first time. It was not hard to spot this 'Killer Croc'. This one looked like a walking Nile Crocodile with snout and mouthful of teeth.

His hands and forearms were bandaged. His pants were worn, like he has spent a lifetime in these pits of the city, "Well, well, looks like you kiddies got yo'self a new kitty-cat," He said with the hiss of a crocodile waiting to strike a zebra making a river crossing. I snarled at him with a flash of my canines, "You ain't nothin' but their lil' pet, pretty kitty, shame,"

"I am not a brute like you, Ingwenya," I lightly snarled back to him, ready to fight, the one called 'Killer Croc' looked confused,

"Wait, what did chu' call me?!" he asked back, demanding an answer from me,

"Ingwenya, it means 'Crocodile' in Zulu," I replied, his rage seemed to mellow out as he scratched his hide. He attacked, his jaws hungering for flesh be it mine or that of Nightwing. His claws slashed at air as I evaded them with my abilities that Miss Martian says I can use to my advantage. Nightwing flipped onto his back, and struck him with special sticks.

I have never seen sticks that can make electricity. He rubbed his head, and seemed to want to make conversation as we fought, "I like dat word, gotta nice ring to it, I'll tell yah what, if Miss Kitty here can beat me one-on-one, I'll let her call me dat," He offered, throwing Nightwing against a wall, luckily I was there to catch him. He told me to cover him.

"I accept your challenge," I replied as I followed him up from the pits to the streets of the city,

"Be careful, Sphinx, he's eaten people," Nightwing warned me, I understood is concern for my well-being. Killer Croc's eyes looked bent on eating me. I will not give him such a pleasure. I charged him on four feet, and he attacked. His footsteps were like those of a rhino. I used my feet like spear, and kicked him in the stomach, and punched up his jaw,

He stumbled and shook his head, attacking again. His teeth clamped down, tasting only the air as I evaded his jaws. His breath reeked of rotten meat and death. I was using my strength to hold back his jaws by the chin and snout. I released my grip so his jaws would close. I struck my palms at his temples, and made a jumping knee into back handspring.

I leaped up to the top of a building while the police captured 'Ingwenya', "Good work," said Nightwing,

"My question to you is, what am I to 'The Team'?" I asked, Nightwing put a gentle hand on my shoulder, and grinned

"It's up to you to decide that, as for what you are? I would say you're special, just like everyone else on the team," said Nightwing, "when building a team, everyone brings something to the table," I looked down at Killer Croc as he was taken away. I feel that I would not be seeing the last of him, but I feel like there are more like him that I may face.

"I called this exercise 'Supervised Fieldwork', and I think I've seen all I need to see," from his words, I feel like I have earned a place among the others. There will be more adventures to take part in, and more chances to show what I can do to help. To all villains in the world who seek to harm the innocent, be forewarned. Now the Sphinx is on the hunt.


End file.
